Sheet and bag separating and stacking mechanism



1962 V G. H. HANNON 3,057,527

SHEET AND BAG SEPARATING AND STACKING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR. GILBERT H. HANNON mi/gi ATTORNEY Oct. 9, 1962 G. H. HANNON 3,057,527

SHEET AND BAG SEPARATING AND STACKING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR GILBERT H.HANNON BY i ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,057,527 SHEET AND BAG SEPARATING AND STACKING MECHANISM Gilbert H. Hannon, Sheboygan, Wis., assignor to H. G. Weber and Company, Inc., Kiel, Wis. Filed Feb. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 795,734 4 Claims. (Cl. 225-400) This invention relates to automatic machines and more particularly to a device for separating along weakened lines of a continuous web of material successive end portions thereof and stacking these separated portions in a shingling arrangement or in stacks of a given count.

Heretofore devices have been used which parted the end portions of a web of material along perforated transverse lines by accelerating the movement of the last section from the remainder of the web. These arrangements, however, have been diflicult to use particularly with limp material such as plastic films. Further, no satisfactory means have been provided for stacking sheets of or bags formed from limp material such as thin plastic film. Most of the knownsheet and bag discharging means attempt to stack in a pile with little success, and shingling of plastic films or bags has not been performed automatically.

In accordance with the invention claimed a new and improved machine for automatically separating and stacking material such as film sheets or bags is provided comprising means for advancing a web of material having weakened lines extending transversely across the web at spaced intervals, means for accelerating the rate of advance of successive end portions of the web to part the successive end portions from the web along the last weakened line therein and means for engaging the forward moving end of each separated portion and reducing its rate of movement. The latter means stacks the portions by causing each portion to at least partly overrun the preceding portion before being engaged and retarded.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a new and improved device for separating along weakened lines of a web of material successive end portions thereof.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking device for sheets and bags.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved device for separating along weakened lines of a web of material successive end portions thereof and stacking them in a shingled arrangement.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking arrangement for flimsy material wherein the rate of movement of the individual portions is uniformly reduced during a stacking operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking device wherein the direction of movement and rate of speed of each individual portion separated from a web of like portions are changed to cause shingling of the portions in predetermined size stacks.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking device for film and film bags wherein a preceding film sheet or bag forms a track for a following film sheet or bag during a stacking operation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking devicerin which the rate of movement of each portion is controlled and each portion is separately and sequentially retarded.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved stacking device in which the sheets or bags are stacked in alignment.

-Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device for separating and stacking portions of a web of material and embodying the various features of the present invention;

' FIG. '2 is a diagrammatic illustration of a side view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a part of the separating and stacking device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the separating and stacking device illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of the separating and stacking device illustrated in FIG. 1 and including a schematic illustration of a stack separating means;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the retarding pulley arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 77 of FIG. 6.

Referring more particularly to the drawings by characters of reference, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a device 10 for separating and stacking material such as, for example, bags formed from a web 11 of bag making material or sheets in perforated web form having weakened lines extending transversely across the web at spaced intervals. Device 10 is actually a part of an automatic repetitive cycle operating bag making machine which produces a variety of machine actions on the continuously moving strip of web material 11. Web 11 may be, for example, a pair of superimposed strips of pliable plastic material such as transparent plastic Wrap, however, the claimed structure also handles effectively other continuously moving strips of material such as paper, plastics, fiber, rubber or metal strips as the case may be. This invention and the structure disclosed employing its novel features may be used on an unlimited variety of machinery including paper converting machinery such as automatic wrappers, bag or pouch making machines and paper sheeters.

The repetitive cycle separating and stacking device 10 is mounted on a frame structure 12, part of which is shown in FIG. 1, over or through which the strip or strips of superimposed material forming web 11 pass. At the time web 11 is moved through device 10 it already has been formed as desired into similar parts such as, for example, bags, but still is retained in Web form by suitable perforated transverse lines 13. Web 11 is fed over a guiding roller 14 which is rotatably mounted between a pair of parallelly arranged arms 15, 15 on a shaft 16. Shaft 16 is arranged to extend between a pair of arms 17, 17 of frame 12. I

Web 11 is then fed between a plurality of cooperating driving pulley belts 20 and 21 which are so arranged that they have juxtapositioned belt surfaces over at least a part of their travel and receive web 11 therebetween for actuation thereof. Although only two belts 20 and 21 are shown it is within the scope of this invention to use any number of cooperating belts. For example, a com plete sheet and bag separating machine may comprise enough belts to cover the full width of the web of materialup to the maximum width of the machine. Each of the pulley belts 20 and 21 comprise spaced pulley belt elements arranged around pairs of sheaves 26, 27 and 28, 29 respectively. Sheaves 26 and 28 are driving sheaves suitably formed in their grooved circumferences to interlock with belts 20 and 21 to prevent slippage and are mounted on driving shafts 30 and 31 which are parallelly arranged in spaced relationship between arms 17 of frame 12. Sheaves 27 and 29 are rotatably mounted on shafts 32 and 33 parallelly arranged in spaced relationship between arms 17, 17 of frame 12. In order to keep belt '21 in predetermined frictional engagement with belt 20 a sheave 22 is rotatable mounted on a shaft 23. Shaft 23 is arranged to extend between arms 17, 17' with sheave 22 positioned within the path of movement of belt 21. Shaft 23 is loosely mounted within a slotted housing 24 fixedly attached to frame 12. A spring 25 biases shaft 23 and in turn sheave 22 in engagement with belt 21, belt 20' and sheave 26.

Drive shafts and 31 are actuated by an endless track such as a belt or chain 35 mounted on the outside of frame 12 and carried by a pair of sprockets 36 and 37. Sprocket 36 is fixedly secured to drive shaft '30, which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearing structures formed in arms 17, 17 of frame 12, and sprocket 37 is fixedly secured to a drive shaft 38 which also is rotatably mounted in suitable bearing structures formed in arms 17, 17' of frame 12. Drive shaft 31 rotatably mounted on arms 17, 17 of frame 12 is actuated by shaft 30 through suitable matching gears 40 and 41, gear 40 being mounted on shaft 30 and gear 41 being mounted on shaft 31. Drive shaft 38 is actuated through an endless belt or chain 42 and sprocket 43 from any suitable source of power, for example, a constant speed drive such as an electric motor 44 diagrammatically shown in FIG. 2.

As web 11 is advanced at a given speed by sheaves 26, 27 and 28, 29 and more particularly the cooperating surfaces of the juxtapositioned belts 20 and 21 which grip it and move it along in a given direction, a pair of cooperating belts 45 and 46 each comprised of multiple belt elements moving at a greater speed than web 11 engage therebetween successive end portions of the web to part the end portions from the web and to move them away from the web at a greater speed than the movement of the Web. The elements of belt 45 are carried by drive sheaves 47 mounted on shaft 48 and sheaves 49 rotatably mounted on a shaft 50. Shaft 50 is fixedly mounted to extend between a pair of pivotally mounted arms 51, 51'. Arms 51, 51 are spacedly mounted on shaft 38 for limited arcuate movement upon reciprocal movement of a pair of rods 52, 52' each pivotally mounted to arms 51, 51', respectively. Rods 52, 52 are actuated by earns 53, 53 spacedly mounted on shaft 54.

The elements of belt 46 are carried by sheaves 56, 57 and 58. Drive sheaves 56, 57 and 58 are fixedly mounted on a rotatably mounted shaft 59 arranged between arms 17, 17 of frame 12. Shaft 59 is driven through a gear train (not shown) from drive shaft 31. Sheaves 57 are rotatably mounted on shaft 31 one on each side of sheaves 28 and sheaves 58 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 60 arranged to extend between arms 17, 17 of frame 12 in parallel arrangement with shafts 31 and 59. Belt 46 is driven by shaft 59 at substantially the same speed as belt 45. To separate sequentially the end portions of the web, arms 51, 51 are rotated clockwise about shaft 38 by the upward movement of rods 52, 52' under the influence of earns 53, 53'. Clockwise rotation of arms 51, 51' causes the elements of belt 45 passing over sheaves 49 to sequentially engage the end portions of web 11 and the elements of belt 46 passing over sheave 57. The high speed action of belts 45 and 46 separates the end portion of the web along the closest transverse perforated line. Belts 45 and 46 cooperate to not only separate the end portions of the web but also move these separated end portions or bags along a given path in substantially the same direction as the movement of the web.

Upon movement of the separated end portions or bags of the web between belts 45 and 46 between sheaves 47 and 56 the speed of movement of the bags is retarded and the bags are stacked in a shingled manner. This is accomplished in part by a pair of cooperating intermittently indexed or relatively slow moving belts 63 and 64. Belt 63 comprising a plurality of belt elements is mounted to extend around pairs of sheaves 65 and 66. Sheave 65 is rotatably mounted on shaft 59 between sheaves 56, and sheaves 66 are fixedly mounted on a shaft 67 arranged within frame 12 in parallel arrangement with shaft 59. Shaft 67 is driven at a relatively slow rate of speed or intermittently driven by any suitable source of power. Belt 64 is mounted to extend around sheaves 70, 71 and 72 mounted on shafts 73, 74 and 75, respectively, which in turn are each arranged to extend in parallel arrangement within frame 12. Belts 63 and 64 are arranged to travel in juxtaposed arrangement for at least part of their travel thus serving as a track for the movement of the bags therebetween. Shaft 73 is directly driven by shaft 67 through a suitable gear train (not shown).

As the bags are moved along by belt 46 at a relatively fast speed between sheaves 47 and 56, the intermittently driven or relatively slow moving belt 63 arranged to travel around sheaves 65 on shaft 59 and between sheaves 56 picks up the bags and moves them around sheaves 65 in the direction of belt travel. In order to assist the bags in clinging to the surface of belt 63 as it rides around sheave 56 and until belt 64 passing around sheave 72 captures the bags between the juxtapositioned surfaces of belts 63 and 64, a plurality of gas blasts discharging from nozzle means 76 are provided. The forward moving ends of each of the bags are held to the surface of belt 63 by means of intermittent blasts of gas such as air under pressure intermittently passing through nozzle means 76. Nozzle means 76 are so directed that they hold the forward moving end of each bag against belt 63 until belt 64 passing over sheave 72 in combination with belt 63 holds them firmly therebetween. A plurality of nozzle meanes 75' are so positioned that they intermittently blast a stream of gas such as air under pressure in the direction of movement of the bags under the effects of the relatively fast moving belt 46 causing the following ends of the bags after they leave belt 46 to rotate around their forward moving ends.

Nozzle means 76 rotate the following end of each bag as it leaves belt 45 around the forward moving end of said bag, and nozzle means 76 holds the forward moving end of each bag against the relatively slow moving belt 63 as it moves around sheave 56 until the bags are captured between the cooperating moving belts 63 and 64.

Belts 63 and 64 are relatively slow or intermittently moving belts while belts 45 and 46 are relatively fast moving belts. Therefore, as the bags leave belt 46 and are engaged by belts 63 and 64 their speed is reduced and the bags overrun each other in a controlled, predetermined manner. As the leading bag is moved longitudinally around sheave 56 it is at the same time rotated a predetermined amount around its forward moving end in the manner heretofore explained. During the time this bag is rotating around its forward moving end a second following bag has been discharged from the relatively fast moving belt 46 onto the relatively slow moving belt and it overtakes and passes under at least a part of the preceding bag until it is captured between belts 63 and 64 which are passing over sheaves 56 and 72, respectively. This shingling arrangement makes it possible for the preceding bag to form the track or guide for the following bag and at the same time provide the space necessary for a bunching of the bags for uniform movement along a relatively slow moving conveyor.

In order to vary the position of sheave 72 and the position on sheave 56 where belts 63 and 64 engage each other to jointly move the bags therebetween at a relatively slow or intermittent speed, shaft 75 is mounted at each end thereof on a bracket arm 77 (one of which is shown in FIG. 2). Bracket arms 77 are pivotally mounted around the center line of shaft 59 and are held in a given position by clamping screws 78 which pass through slots 79 in bracket arms 77 and lock the arms to frame 12. Each bracket arm 77 is further provided with a recess 80 extending in a longitudinal direction along the extension of a diameter of shaft 59 for forming a race for each end of shaft 75. Shaft 75, sheave 72 and belt 64 mounted thereon are biased into engagement with sheave 56 and belt 63 by suitable means such as springs 81.

' Belt 64 is kept taut by moving shaft 74 .and sheave 71 relative to belt 63 and sheave 65. Shaft 74 is fixedly mounted in two arms 103 (one of which is shown in FIG. 2) which are pivotally mounted around shaft 73. A bracket 104 and spring 105 are provided to tension belt 64 in the usual manner.

Sheave 58 on shaft 60 is similarly mounted on a pair of arms 106 (one of which is shown in FIG. 2) which are pivotally mounted around shaft 31. Spring 107 mounted at one end on a pin 108 on frame 12 and at the other end to arm 107 keeps belt 46 taut.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 illustrate diagrammatically the operation of the claimed invention wherein the transversely perforated Web 11 is fed through a pair a guilding rollers 85, 85' over roller 14 on shaft 15 and between the machine speed driven belt and 21. The juxtapositioned surfaces of belts 20 and 21 move the web along its path at a predetermined speed norm-ally the machine speed of the web forming structure. Belt 21 extends further along the web path than belt 20 and carries the web to and over the path of movement of a relatively fast moving belt 46. At the time web 11 is extended over the relatively fast moving belt 46 the pivotally mounted lever arms 51 are actuated clockwise as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the moving belt 45 rotating around its sheaves at substantially the same speed as belt 46 rips the end portion of web 11 and accelerates the movement of the last portion of web 11 to detach it from the remainder of the web. This last portion or bag is then rapidly moved along belt 46 at an accelerated Speed. Lever arms 51 under the action of cam 53 .are then rotated counter clockwise to its original position at which point it again rotates clockwise lever arm 51 and repeats the action of belt 45 engaging the last portion of web 11 to again detach it from the web. Thus, each end portion of Web 11 is sequentially detached and moved at an accelerated rate along belt 46.

As the end portions or bags reach she-ave 56 they are moved onto a relatively slow moving or intermittent belt 63. At this point in its travel the bag is acted upon by two different forces, one of which rotates the following end of the bag counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 2 while the other force retains the forward moving end of the bag on belt 63 against the belt surface moving around sheave 65 as it changes its direction of movement. The forward end of each bag is eventually gripped by belts 63 and 64 and then moved along belt 64 at an intermittent or relatively slow speed considerably slower than the movement of belts 20, 21 and 45, 46. Because of the relatively slow movement of belts 63 and 64 each succeeding bag deposited on belt 63 partly overruns the preceding bag in a stacking or shingling manner. The rotation and relatively slow movement of the preceding bag forms a track or sliding surface for the following bag to follow and be guided by until it is firmly engaged between belts 63 and 64.

FIG. 3 particularly illustrates diagrammatically the structure for feeding a web of material along a given path and then sequentially removing the end portion of the web along transverse perforated lines by accelerating it.

FIG. 4 particularly illustrates digrammatically the structure of FIG. 3 for separating the end portions of the web but further the mechanism for stacking the end portions or bags in a shingled arrangement.

FIG. 5 particularly illustrates diagrammatically the structures of FIG. 3 and 4 but in addition a pair of belts or pulley arrangements which separate the shingled bags in predetermined numbers. Belt 90 mounted on sheaves 91 and 92 is actuated at the same rate of speed as belt 64 and may be driven by shaft 73 through suitable gear trains. This belt moves the shingled bags away from belt 64. Mounted adjacent thereto is a further belt or pulley arrangement comprising a belt 93 mounted around a pair of sheaves 94 and 95 for actuation at a faster rate of speed than belt 90. This belt has periodically de-Q posited thereon in any suitable manner a predetermined number of the bags from belt which are then moved away in a group separated from the following group of bags collected from belt 90. A closed end trough 110 may be arranged at adjacent sheave for stacking in alignment a given quantity of sheets or bags.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate a modification of the sheaves 28 and 29 and belt 46 used for rapidly moving the bags after they have been separated from the web. As shown shaft 59 may be replaced by a hollow shaft 96 which is connected to means for drawing a vacuum. Shaft 96 has mounted thereon over a peripheral opening 97 a sheave 98 which has an aperture or slotted periphery 99 therearound. An apertured belt 100 moves across the apertured or slotted periphery 99 of sheave 98 as shown in FIG. 6 thereby providing a suction force on belt 100 and on any bags moving with the surface of belt 96 over sheave 98. Sheave 101 having protrusions 102 may be mounted on shaft 31 for driving belt 96. By utilizing such a vacuum arrangement one or more of the nozzles 76, 76' may be eliminated. It is also within the scope of this invention to utilize such a suitable vacuum arrangement in combination with nozzles 76, 76'. The above described vacuum arrangement may be used to replace either or both of the fast, slow or intermittent indexed belts.

Although but a few embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be appareat to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A machine for separating and stacking material comprising means for advancing in a given direction a web of material havingweakened lines extending trans versely across the web at spaced intervals, means com: prising a roll for accelerating the rate of advance of successive end portions of the web in said given direction to part the successive end portions from the web along the last weakened line therein, means comprising a, pair of cooperating rolls for sequentially engaging therebetween the forward moving end of each separated portion and retarding it and actuating it at a reduced rate and changing its direction of movement, a first fluid pressure means for directing the forward end of each of said separated portions into said cooperating rolls, and a second fluid pressure means for rotating the free end of each of said separated portions to change its direction of movement after the forward end of each separated portion is engaged by said cooperating rolls, the surface of each preceding separated portion forming a track for guiding the movement of the following separated portion whereby said portions are shingled by causing the retarded portion to be partly overrun by the following portions before they are retarded by said cooperating rolls.

2. A machine for separating and stacking material comprising means for advancing in a given direction a web of material having weakened lines extending transversely across the web at spaced intervals, means for accelerating the rate of advance of successive end portions of the web, said accelerating means comprising a pair of cooperating belts running substantially at the same speed with one of said belts forming a moving track for the portions and the other of said belts periodically being pivoted into surface engagement with said one of said belts toengage the end portions of the web therebetween to part the successive end portions from the web along the last weakened line therein and to hold said end portions on said track when between said belts, means comprising a pair of juxtapositioned belts for sequentially engaging therebetween the forward moving end of each separated portion and retarding it and actuating it at a reduced rate of movement, means for directing the forward end of each of said separated portions between said juxtapositioned belts, and means for rotating the free end of each of said separated portions to change its direction of movement after the forward end of each separated portion is engaged by said juxtapositioned belts, the surface of each preceding separated portion forming a track for guiding the movement of a following separated portion whereby said portions are shingled by causing the retarded portion to be partly overrun by the following portions before said following portions are retarded by said juxtapositioned belts.

3. A machine for separating and stacking material comprising means for advancing in a given direction a Web of material having weakened lines extending trans versely across the web at spaced intervals, means for accelerating the rate of advance of successive end portions of the web, said accelerating means comprising a pair of cooperating belts running substantially at the same speed with one of said belts forming a moving track for the portions and the other of said belts periodically being pivoted into surface engagement with said one of said belts to engage the end portions of the web therebetween to part the successive end portions from the web along the last weakened line therein and to hold said end portions on said track when between said belts, means comprising a pair of juxtapositioned belts for sequentially engaging therebetween the forward moving end of each separated portion and retarding it and actuating it at a reduced rate of movement, a first fluid pressure means for directing the forward end of each of said separated portions between said juxtapositioned belts, and a second fluid pressure means for rotating the free end of each of said separated portions toe hange its direction of movement after the forward end of each separated portion is engaged by said juxtapositioned belts, the surface of each preceding separated portion forming a track for guiding the movement of a following separated portion whereby said portions are shingled by causing the retarded portion to be partly overrun by the following portions before said following portions are retarded by said juxtapositioned belts.

4. A machine for separating and stacking material comprising means for advancing in a given direction a web of material having weakened lines extending transversely across the web at spaced intervals, means for accelerating the rate of advance of successive end portions of the web, said accelerating means comprising a pair of cooperating belts running substantially at the same speed with one of said belts forming a moving track for the portions and the other of said belts periodically being pivoted into surface engagement with said one of said belts to engage the end portions of the web therebetween to part the successive end portions from the web along the last weakened line therein and to hold said end portions on said track when between said belts, means comprising a pair of juxtapositioned belts for sequentially engaging therebetween the forward moving end of each separated portion and retarding it and actuating it at a reduced rate of movement, means comprising a pair of cooperating rolls, one of said cooperating rolls being provided with a vacuum arrangement, a pair of juxtapositioned belts one mounted to pass around each of said rolls, one of said juxtapositioned belts being provided with a plurality of apertures for cooperating with said one of said rolls for clinging to at least the forward end of each of said end portions as they change their direction of movement, at first fluid pressure means for directing the forward end of each of said separated portions between said juxtapositioned belts, and a second fluid pressure means for rotating the free end of each of said separated portions to change its direction of movement after the forward end of each separated portion is engaged by said juxtapositioned belts, the surface of each preceding separated portion forming a track for guiding the movement of a following separated portion whereby said portions are shingled by causing the retarded portion to be partly overrun by the following portions before said following portions are retarded by said juxtapositioned belts.

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